Damone Clark NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Dallas Cowboys' LB

HEIGHT: 6'2 1/2"

WEIGHT: 239

HAND: 9 3/4"

ARM: 33"

WINGSPAN: 6'6 1/2"

40-YARD DASH: 4.57

3-CONE: 7.12

SHUTTLE: DNP

VERTICAL: 36.5"

BROAD: 10'7"

POSITIVES

— Good size to play all three linebacker spots.

— Good open-field speed. Can play sideline-to-sideline and track players in space.

— Great play strength. Pries open blocks with his punch; anchors effectively for a linebacker.

— Violent playstyle. Zero reservations coming up to take on blocks, even against pullers.

— Effectively tracks the running back and knows how to sift through traffic.

— Great speed and fluidity when he triggers downhill.

— Effective blitzer.

NEGATIVES

— Inconsistent eyes and discipline. Trusts himself too much at times and will trigger early on eye candy.

— Poor feel for zone coverage. Gives too much cushion; can rarely play what is behind him.

— Tackling technique comes and goes. Too often slows down and shoots to arm tackle.

— Stop/start movement in space can be clunky at times. Can play a little high and out of control.

2021 STATISTICS

135 TOT, 15 TFL, 5.5 SK, 2 FF, 1 FR, 3 PD

NOTES

— Three years as a starter or main contributor.

— 4-star recruit in 2018.

— 2021 second-team All-SEC.

— 2021 Dick Butkus Award finalist.

— Will undergo spinal fusion surgery this offseason and is expected to miss his rookie season.

OVERALL

Damone Clark has all the tools and physicality to be a top-tier run defender, but inconsistent eyes and an unnatural feel for coverage bring forth a fair bit of caution with his projection.

When everything clicks, Clark looks dominant. Clark has moments where he tracks the running back through traffic with ease, both downhill and when working to the perimeter. He also has the speed to finish those plays without much issue. It is rare that he takes a bad angle to the play.

Clark also brings the hammer both against blockers and ball carriers. Clark can crush blockers head on to help compress space, as well as effectively play a half-man and control the gap with his free arm. Not only does that physicality and high-level block destruction help him from a stack alignment, but it allowed LSU to play him as a SAM on the edge at times, which is certainly something NFL teams should explore to get the most out of his skill set.

All that said, Clark is too inconsistent right now. He is far too willing to trigger on the first movement he sees, which leads to running himself out of plays. Clark will be a target on motions, RPOs (run-pass options) and play-action for that reason. Similarly, Clark's eyes and feel for zone coverage are lacking. He often surrenders too much air between himself and players running into his zones, and he lacks the awareness to play routes developing behind him. Clark is a bit more functional in simplified man-to-man situations, but he is not special there, either. Clark's passing down value is almost strictly as a blitzer right now, which he is quite good at.

Clark projects best as a MIKE or a SAM, thanks in large part to his size, comfort working in traffic and violent block destruction. However, his lack of coverage value and hyper-aggressive eyes in the run game may necessitate a year on the bench, or at least an acceptance of his volatility early on. Clark is a swing on upside and should be a target for teams looking to develop a linebacker, not those who need competent play right away.

GRADE: 7.2 (High-level Backup/Potential Starter - 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 96

POSITION RANK: LB9

PRO COMPARISON: Ja'Whaun Bentley

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen